Pollsmoor prison Facebook page causes a stir

Cape Town - Prisoners at a Cape Town institution appear to have broken rules by actively posting content to social networks.

A Facebook page, Pollsmoor maximum security prison, has had activity since January 2015 with inmates posting images of themselves in the prison precinct as well the cells.

Many prisoners can be clearly seen in uniforms, ostensibly aware that they are being photographed.

The page, if authentic, may flout regulations in the department of correctional services.

"In short that is prohibited, that is not allowed," Manelisi Wolela, spokesperson for the department of correctional services told Fin24.

He cited the example of the so-called Waterkloof four who were found to have mobile devices in jail. Christoff Becker's prison privileges were suspended following the revelations.

Gang activity

The prisoner page also features alleged gang activity with some images tagged with "Terrible West Siders" in reference to the Americans gang.

The page may also be in violation of Facebook's terms of service. The social network specifically forbids criminal activity from being celebrated on pages.

"We also prohibit you from celebrating any crimes that you've committed. We do, however, allow people to debate or advocate for the legality of criminal activities, as well as address them in a humorous or satirical way," says the Terms of Service document.

The page is also proving popular with Facebook users with over 2 600 likes and several comments.